Class of 2013

Congratulations to Tara Clark

TARA CLARK grew up in the Garlic Capital of the World – Gilroy, California. As Tara said, “I come from a very low-income, single-parent household where I faced the daily struggle of worrying about how we would put dinner on the table. ... In order to distract myself from fear and worry, I decided to focus all of my time on school instead of on the daily tribulations that I encountered.” These experiences helped her develop diligence and self-discipline, which enabled her to earn an Associate of Arts from Gavilan College upon graduating high school at an Early College Academy. Tara then completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at UCSB in just two years, majoring in Philosophy and Linguistics and minoring in Education.

As our youngest incoming graduate student at 20 years old, she will start as a Ph.D. student in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, where she hopes to “gain the essential knowledge and experiences in order to become a school leader who will effectuate necessary changes in the world of education through reform methods.”

Although Tara has lived in Santa Barbara for two years already, she said that there are still lots of places that she would like to explore. She enjoys meeting new people, being crafty, and staying active. According to Tara, “The number one thing that surprises people about me is my maturity despite my age. I am young in years, but old in resilience.”